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Strengthening federal information policy: Opportunities and realities at OMB
418
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. b/No. 4/l989
The second part examines the papers of 23 presidents held in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. The next part concentrates on the papers held in historical societies and special libraries, The final part looks at the presidential library program of the National Archives. Four appendices contain statistical information on presidential libraries, a “Directory of Major Presidential Records Collections,” a “Directory of Presidential Historic Sites,” and an “Overview of the White House Filing System.” The bibliography offers a selective list of readings about presidential records and libraries. The bibliography excludes congressional hearings and reports, as well as some important writings on presidential libraries and the history of presidential records. The discussion of reference aids, including PRESNET, is cursory; so too is the biographic essay on most presidents. Part two is perhaps the least interesting to read. The authors “warm up” to their topic in subsequent chapters. Records of the Presidency does not adequately suggest the diversity of holdings, and the collection development and declassification programs, for presidential libraries. Further, it includes one drawing but no photographs of the sites discussed. The strengths of the book are its discussion of: 0 historical societies and special libraries housing presidential records l the location of records and historic book collections for each president l the establishment of each presidential library. Records of the resident the sho~comings.
fills a void in the published
*Peter Hernon is Professor, Graduate School of Library Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
literature.
and Information
Recommends
Science, Simmons College,
despite
300 The
Strengthening Federal Information Policy: Opportunities and Realities at OMB. By Gary Bass and David Plocher. Washington, D.C.: The Benton Foundation, Project, 1988, 66 pages, $6.50 (set of eight papers costs $33.00).
Policy Options
Reviewed by Peter Hernon* The Benton Foundations’s sists of eight papers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Project on Co~unications
& Information
Policy Options con-
Z7ze Role of Public Policy in the New Television Marketplace, by Jay G. Blumler Public Broadcasting, by Harry M. Shooshan III and Louise Arnheim Charging for Spectrum Use, by Henry Geller and Donna Lampert A Federal Right of Information Privacy: The Need for Reform, by Jerry Berman and Janlori Goldman Watching the Watchers: The Coordination of Federal Privacy Policy, by George Trubow Strengthening Federal Information Policy, by Gary Bass and David Plocher A Presidential initiative on Information Policy, by John Shattuck and Muriel Morisey Spence The Federal St~ct~re for ~~ecomm~~ications Policy, by Henry Geller
Reviews
419
GZQ will only review the sixth and seventh titles. Federal information policy consists of a complex maze of laws, directives, and guidelines that, at times, are duplicative and conflicting. Existing policy, as well, might be outdated or unsatisfactorily deal with topical areas such as electronic information access and delivery. A further complication is that certain policies pertain only to one agency or branch of govemment, while others have government-wide jurisdiction. Some authors treat govemmentwide policy, national information policy, and Federal information policy as synonymous terms. In fact, each term has different meaning (see Discussion Forum in volume 6, number 3, 1989, of Government Znformution Quarterly). Strengthening Federal Znformution Policy, a 49 page essay (the remaining pagination consists of notes), examines Federal information policy pertaining to the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) and reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The authors, both from OMB Watch, analyze OMB’s management of Federal information resources and offer general recommendations for improving OMB’s information activities. They advocate improved information management and encourage the development of a comprehensive information policy. Presumably the comprehensive aspect is the underlying principle of national information policy. However, the authors fail to discuss national information policy with any depth and to differentiate it from other types of policy. Bass and Plocher provide a succinct discussion of government printing. They offer some information on OMB’s war on publications that has not previously appeared in the general literature. They also characterize the view of government information as a commodity “as fundamentally misguided” (pp. 32-33). As Bass and Plocher note, OMB had given insufficient attention to all aspects of information resources management (IRM). A similar charge could be levied broadly across the government. The reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act affords an excellent opportunity to redefine the legislation (perhaps as “the Federal Information Resources Management Act”) and to review OMB Circular A-130. Congress can legislate the parts of the Circular that it believes to be in the public interest. The Bush administration, Congress, and other stakeholders should review the recommendations. The purpose should be to improve the policy framework and better balance the concept of government information as both an economic resource and a public good. Recommended despite the price. The booklet should sell for no more than $2.50! *Peter Hemon, Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information way, Boston, Massachusetts 02ll5.
LIST OF TITLES
Science, Simmons College, 300 The Fen-
RECEIVED
Since the number of titles published each year of potential value to our readers is quite large, only a few are formally reviewed. Our practice is to list works upon receipt and to include a few of them later in our “Reviews” column. By listing works, readers may be able to identify current titles having possible interest to them. Where titles are not descriptive of contents, brief annotations are provided. CZSPES and FBI Counterterrorism
Investigations.
Hearings before the Subcommittee
on
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. b/No. 4/l989
The second part examines the papers of 23 presidents held in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. The next part concentrates on the papers held in historical societies and special libraries, The final part looks at the presidential library program of the National Archives. Four appendices contain statistical information on presidential libraries, a “Directory of Major Presidential Records Collections,” a “Directory of Presidential Historic Sites,” and an “Overview of the White House Filing System.” The bibliography offers a selective list of readings about presidential records and libraries. The bibliography excludes congressional hearings and reports, as well as some important writings on presidential libraries and the history of presidential records. The discussion of reference aids, including PRESNET, is cursory; so too is the biographic essay on most presidents. Part two is perhaps the least interesting to read. The authors “warm up” to their topic in subsequent chapters. Records of the Presidency does not adequately suggest the diversity of holdings, and the collection development and declassification programs, for presidential libraries. Further, it includes one drawing but no photographs of the sites discussed. The strengths of the book are its discussion of: 0 historical societies and special libraries housing presidential records l the location of records and historic book collections for each president l the establishment of each presidential library. Records of the resident the sho~comings.
fills a void in the published
*Peter Hernon is Professor, Graduate School of Library Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
literature.
and Information
Recommends
Science, Simmons College,
despite
300 The
Strengthening Federal Information Policy: Opportunities and Realities at OMB. By Gary Bass and David Plocher. Washington, D.C.: The Benton Foundation, Project, 1988, 66 pages, $6.50 (set of eight papers costs $33.00).
Policy Options
Reviewed by Peter Hernon* The Benton Foundations’s sists of eight papers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Project on Co~unications
& Information
Policy Options con-
Z7ze Role of Public Policy in the New Television Marketplace, by Jay G. Blumler Public Broadcasting, by Harry M. Shooshan III and Louise Arnheim Charging for Spectrum Use, by Henry Geller and Donna Lampert A Federal Right of Information Privacy: The Need for Reform, by Jerry Berman and Janlori Goldman Watching the Watchers: The Coordination of Federal Privacy Policy, by George Trubow Strengthening Federal Information Policy, by Gary Bass and David Plocher A Presidential initiative on Information Policy, by John Shattuck and Muriel Morisey Spence The Federal St~ct~re for ~~ecomm~~ications Policy, by Henry Geller
Reviews
419
GZQ will only review the sixth and seventh titles. Federal information policy consists of a complex maze of laws, directives, and guidelines that, at times, are duplicative and conflicting. Existing policy, as well, might be outdated or unsatisfactorily deal with topical areas such as electronic information access and delivery. A further complication is that certain policies pertain only to one agency or branch of govemment, while others have government-wide jurisdiction. Some authors treat govemmentwide policy, national information policy, and Federal information policy as synonymous terms. In fact, each term has different meaning (see Discussion Forum in volume 6, number 3, 1989, of Government Znformution Quarterly). Strengthening Federal Znformution Policy, a 49 page essay (the remaining pagination consists of notes), examines Federal information policy pertaining to the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) and reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The authors, both from OMB Watch, analyze OMB’s management of Federal information resources and offer general recommendations for improving OMB’s information activities. They advocate improved information management and encourage the development of a comprehensive information policy. Presumably the comprehensive aspect is the underlying principle of national information policy. However, the authors fail to discuss national information policy with any depth and to differentiate it from other types of policy. Bass and Plocher provide a succinct discussion of government printing. They offer some information on OMB’s war on publications that has not previously appeared in the general literature. They also characterize the view of government information as a commodity “as fundamentally misguided” (pp. 32-33). As Bass and Plocher note, OMB had given insufficient attention to all aspects of information resources management (IRM). A similar charge could be levied broadly across the government. The reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act affords an excellent opportunity to redefine the legislation (perhaps as “the Federal Information Resources Management Act”) and to review OMB Circular A-130. Congress can legislate the parts of the Circular that it believes to be in the public interest. The Bush administration, Congress, and other stakeholders should review the recommendations. The purpose should be to improve the policy framework and better balance the concept of government information as both an economic resource and a public good. Recommended despite the price. The booklet should sell for no more than $2.50! *Peter Hemon, Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information way, Boston, Massachusetts 02ll5.
LIST OF TITLES
Science, Simmons College, 300 The Fen-
RECEIVED
Since the number of titles published each year of potential value to our readers is quite large, only a few are formally reviewed. Our practice is to list works upon receipt and to include a few of them later in our “Reviews” column. By listing works, readers may be able to identify current titles having possible interest to them. Where titles are not descriptive of contents, brief annotations are provided. CZSPES and FBI Counterterrorism
Investigations.
Hearings before the Subcommittee
on